COUNTDOWN TO JOBURG PRIDE 2009 BEGINS!

Published on: 19 August 2009

Joburg Pride 2009, presented by 94.7 Highveld Stereo, is in the final stages of planning. The theme for 2009 is ‘You Need Pride’, and this message will be part of all our activities.

 
The Parade will be held on Saturday 3rd October kicking off from Zoo Lake Sports Club through the streets of Rosebank. Then join us back at Zoo Lake Sports Club for the rest of Pride Day festivities till 5pm. Besides the entertainment and 94.7 Highveld Stereo DJs there will also be the Community Village, Pride stalls with all sorts of goodies on display and on sale, bars, food and a kiddies’ play area.

 
Floats and Stalls

 
If you would like to enter a float or any kind of vehicle in the parade, please complete the application form on our website. Float entry fees are very reasonable, starting at R10 for a motorbike entered by an NGO to R500 for a large corporate float accommodating 25 people. All proceeds go towards making Pride bigger and better. Of course, individuals on foot do not pay to participate in the parade. The float / vehicle application form is now available for download on www.joburgpride.org. An award will be given to the best float, judged on the criteria of appearance, creativity (crowd appeal, originality of idea) and understanding of the theme of Joburg Pride 2009.

 
To book a stall at the celebration in the park, please complete the stall application form which can also be found on www.joburgpride.org. Please note that only stalls that have Environmental Certification from the Department of Health will be allowed to sell food.

 
Pride Guide Advertising

 
To advertise your product, brand, organisation or service in the Pride Guide, you need to book your placement urgently (by 21 August) and provide final artwork by 28 August. Ten thousand copies of the guide will be distributed around Gauteng in the two weeks leading up to the parade. Please download the Pride Guide Advertising Rate Card on www.joburgpride.org for more information.

 
Fringe event listings

 
As with the 2008 festival, we would like to highlight any Pride themed events that will take place during the week preceding the Pride Parade. From parties to exhibitions, from theatre shows to seminars, any gay or lesbian interest event taking place between Saturday 26 September and Saturday 3 October 2009 qualifies. Your event will be listed in the event schedules on our website and in the Pride Guide at no cost. We will need final details and logos by 26 August for the Pride Guide and no later than 18 September for the website. To have your event listed, please e-mail your event details (including a description and time and date) to info@joburgpride.org. (We reserve to right to reject an event should be we feel that it is inappropriate or not relevant.)

 
After Party

 
Once again, Joburg Pride will not be offering or endorsing any official after-party. We believe there should be a variety of options for Pride-goers to choose from and we will market any Pride themed party during the period as a Fringe Event on the events schedules on our website and in our Pride Guide.

 
Remember, all forms can be found on the Pride website at www.joburgpride.org.
 

You Need Pride

 
Joburg Pride is an annual celebration of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in Gauteng. The 1990 Joburg Pride March was the first lesbian and gay pride parade to take place on the African continent. It was organised by the Gay and Lesbian Organisation of the Witwatersrand (GLOW) headed by the late legendary gay rights and anti-apartheid activist Simon Nkoli. Many of the participants wore brown paper bags over their head out of fear for their safety. The event has taken place every year since then, making the 2009 Joburg Gay Pride Festival the 20th annual Pride event in the city. Today, Joburg Pride is organised by a Section 21 company run primarily by a board of volunteers. 2009 is also the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York City, which saw members of the city’s LGBT community stand up against official repression for the first time; for many representing the birth of the LGBT equality movement.